Waymo’s California robotaxi expansion plans put on hold by regulators

Waymo’s plans to expand its robotaxi service in Los Angeles and San Francisco have been put on hold by state regulators. The move follows a number of accidents involving the Alphabet-owned company’s self-driving cars, including an autonomous Waymo vehicle hitting a cyclist, causing minor injuries.

Last summer, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) voted in favor of allowing robotaxi companies to operate 24/7 and paused Waymo’s application to expand service “pending further employee review,” according to the agency’s website. The reservation will expire on June 19, 2024, 119 days from today.

The suspension will not affect the company’s ability to operate in its current service area, which includes most of San Francisco and parts of Los Angeles. But it does give regulators more time to evaluate Waymo’s plans for growth in the state, especially if local jurisdictions raise safety concerns.

Last August, the San Francisco city attorney and several city agencies, including city and county transportation agencies and planning departments, filed a motion asking the CPUC to suspend the company’s plan to charge around-the-clock robotaxis in the city. Recently, San Mateo County submitted a request for more information about Waymo’s plans to expand its service.

David Canepa, vice chairman of the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors, claimed that “Waymo has ceased any meaningful discussions about its plans to expand in Silicon Valley” and that the CPUC “has raised concerns about its testing of a robotaxi service. Filings have hit the brakes and are virtually unfettered in San Mateo and Los Angeles counties,” according to information provided to TechCrunch.

A Waymo spokesperson declined to comment.

Earlier this month, a group of people smashed the windows of a self-driving Waymo vehicle and eventually set it on fire, an incident said to embody the dissatisfaction many in the city have with the self-driving car operator.

In its filing with the state, Waymo cited support from numerous community groups, including those representing people with disabilities, who have cheered the development of self-driving cars.